I've been coming here with my kids for a while now and I have to say, it is great every time…read more Through the years they have expanded and do more workshops, birthdays, camps, etc. It is always well maintained, creative, and thoughtfully improved. The staff is always helpful and friendly. The only drawback is that it ends up being pretty pricey, but in my opinion, pretty worth it! You won't get this kind of experience anywhere else in Guelph and my kids never get tired of it!

May 12 2018. 1:30pm…read more Weather - cool, light breeze. Overcast. No rain forecasted. Typical chilly Ontario spring day. The good: This is an excellent, family friendly and highly enjoyable zoo. Plenty of animal variety. Not overcrowded or too busy. Not touristy or campy. It is a zoo experience, through and through. You learn about, interact with, feed, see and enjoy the animals. Animals are well taken care of and clearly happy. The exhibits are designed to be easily viewable. Staff are very friendly and the price is right. Free parking. The bad: None. The Ugly: None. Special Note: As with any zoo, please respect the animals and follow the staff lead regarding how to interact with them.

Haven't been here since I was a kid with school. Took family there today, age range adults to 4 yrs…read moreold and learning challenges. It was so perfect. Weather was mild, overcast, it spit rain. So...logistics. Easy to get to from highway. Clear signage to get you there. Spacious free parking (gravel) and a sweet covered bridge to get to the entrance. It already felt cozy. Reasonable prices, anyone who bitches is being cheap. Complimentary wagons for little ones in exchange for a signed waiver and a promise not to drive it into ponds. Seems reasonable. ;p The goat petting station is JUST inside and we were there like a magnet! So much fun. 25c to feed them, no loonie rip off. You can buy bear/wolf/deer food to feed the exhibit animals. Genius. Plenty of signage to talk about the animals, their personal habits and concerns you might have (shedding, animal noises, one with a sore hip, etc). The roaming peacocks are always great (little ones under mama's wing) and picking up stray feathers feels like treasure! See other review for paths, accessibility, care of animals evident, etc. They have shows at various times for kids in a covered seated area. They have a playground for those who need to take a break. There is a rentable log cabin for birthdays and events. Plenty of picnic tables scattered about. You can walk right up to the herbivore's enclosures to feed them -not the tigers and carnivores, obviously. Everything has a comfortable, familiar feel, the cabins have that Scouts camp paint job feel. No garish colours or obvious pandering to what 'kids forced fun feels like this.' There is a forest trail, FYI. On the way out I spoke with the owner as she mans the gift shop -how often do you get to do that? She is lovely and genuine and talks freely about past and future plans. She loves her job, and lives it. Bottom line: take 3 hours, family/friends, a picnic and GO.

I was in the area with family in August a couple of years back. There's a small fee to enter and…read morepark ($11/vehicle, $4.40 walking in). It's not too bad for vehicle with at least 3 people. The park and trail seem to get a decent amount of visitors despite a mostly empty parking lot. Trail are pretty well maintained and quiet. They are pretty short so it's should good for anyone who doesn't like long hikes. Also, there are picnic benches if you are planning to bring food. I feel like Tew Falls is somewhere you go in the spring or autumn. You would see the leaves being colors and more water flowing over the Falls.

The trail is nice, but you don't really get close to the falls. You look at them from an overlook…read more I would rate the trail as easy and basically anyone can make the 5-minute walk to see the falls.

3 star place, but with 5 star value…read more This is a fairly small place that's not necessarily a destination spot for families to travel a good amount of distance for. With that said, it's very affordable and well-suited to families who have kids in the 3-12 age range. A great spot for locals or if you happen to be with your family in the area. For just under $30, a family can enter the park which has: an outdoor pool, a 20 ft. spiral water slide, a 'lazy river' tube ride, picnic benches (you can bring in outside food), and a kids playground. For another $5 (total), everyone in the family can have access the mini golf course - though its certainly an older run-down one. Finally, there's also a batting cage and it was fairly cheap too. The concession had the standard items such as hot dogs, hamburgers and sausages, along with chips and chocolate bars. Again, quite cheap and nothing was over $3.50. They even grill the food on the BBQ to order. That pretty much describes the place. Fairly simple, but also very affordable and a sure-fire way to enjoy a day with family on a warm summer's day.

We booked a birthday party here for 11 children during an extreme heat wave, only to arrive and…read morediscover there was no air conditioning. We later learned the AC had reportedly been out of service for about two weeks, yet no one contacted us in advance to let us know or offer the option to reschedule. Had we known, we never would have brought a group of children into those conditions. An Orange Heat Alert was in effect, and both children and adults became overheated. Some showed signs of heat exhaustion, and the kids were struggling to participate. Instead of enjoying their birthday, they left sweaty and disappointed. To make matters worse, the staff member assigned to our party was called away to a lengthy staff meeting while we were the only party there. We struggled to get water refills when they were most needed. Mara was helpful whenever she was available, but overall the staff seemed unprepared, and no manager came to check on our group or address the situation. What was most disappointing wasn't just the broken AC--it was how the situation was handled. There was no advance warning, no apology from the GM, no effort to mitigate the conditions with fans, complimentary cold drinks, arcade passes, or any other accommodation. Customer safety and satisfaction should have been the priority. We paid a hefty price for a memorable birthday celebration and instead experienced an unsafe and deeply disappointing afternoon. I hope management takes responsibility for how this was handled so other families don't have the same experience.

I had an amazing time when I came here for a mother and daughter date. I paid for a one-hour time…read moreslot along with non-slip socks, which cost me just under $50. The place was so spacious and the color scheme was beautiful. This is definitely for all ages. They did have some food which was candy and nuggets and pizza that were pre cut and sectioned. I don't think I would eat there but it is in a plaza with multiple restaurants. We didn't have any problems finding a place to jump or enjoying the various activities. ‍‍ I'm definitely coming back here again! Overall, it is a great place, and I would go again.

I was in the area with family in August a couple of years back…read more The trail was really short from the parking lot. The Falls was pretty though a little crowded and busy. There will be people climbing up to the middle level (the landing that sort of cuts the falls in half) and walking in the water. Be careful if you will be climbing or walking through the water. Also, there are giant rocks and logs to sit on. I feel like Sherman Falls is somewhere you go in the autumn. You would see the leaves being colors. There's a small fee enter (around $11/vehicle). It's done through a park kisok. You can use the same parking ticket at Tiffany Falls within around 2 hours or so. The price not too bad for vehicle with at least 3 people. There's lots of parking nearby (compared at Tiffany Falls). If you visit in the afternoon, it's might be a little hard to find a spot.

Super easy and accessible, I was here in July so the weather was fantastic and the trail was easy…read moreto navigate. It's a short walk and it is very well marked, a quarter mile walk that I would call "easy" but it is absolutely not handicapped accessible. The falls are stunning. They cascade 17 meters (55 feet) in a low roar and if you are patient, you might manage to be here completely alone. Otherwise, there are people who don't understand how to behave in nature. Do a good deed today. If you have a trash bag in your car, bring it with you and I'll bet you can find a couple of pieces to pack out and dispose of properly. [Review 1459 of 2024 - 137 in Ontario - 22482 overall]

Fun place for kids from a wide range of ages. Also great for hosting birthday parties with…read morewonderful customer service!

Great spot our little one absolutely loves it! We ended up having her birthday party there and…read morepricing was very reasonable and all kids had a great time Would highly recommend bringing your little ones and owners are so great , very friendly and accommodating

I happened across this attraction while driving out to Waterloo. I didn't need to stay long and…read moredecided I'd visit on my way back home. It wasn't too hard to find off the highway. It was a summer weekday and although I figured it might have additional traffic with kids on school break, I could tell just by turning into the parking lot that it wasn't crowded. What I did find a little strange was the constant signage and website warnings to book tickets online and not on-site. I guess that might have been an issue in the past but it certainly wasn't a problem the day I visited. I paid my entrance fee and walked the short distance back to the conservatory area. There's really good signage to let you know what species you're seeing, and their habits. What I didn't think of was all the butterfly remains I'd see on the grounds...a little disconcerting at first but ok, what did I expect! The sanctuary is easily accessible. It's very warm and humid, but quiet with the hum of the waterfall. It was great that it was so quiet. There were maybe 2 dozen species of butterflies, and many species of trees and plants. At the back end of the conservatory, there's a counter with large, informative photos naming all the different butterflies and insects, and their distinctive characteristics. There were also pupa hanging, and staff to answer any questions. There were a couple of seating areas. After I had rounded the sanctuary a couple of times, I decided to sit on one of the rocks near the waterfall and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere. I then decided to check out the snack bar/cafe. The offerings included some lunch items and baked goods in addition to the usual beverage selections. One thing I encountered that is one of my pet peeves, is a place that charges full 13% HST on takeout food that's $4 or less. I brought it up to the staff and asked that they enlighten their management on how that works. This isn't some mom and pop corner store and they really should know better. Anyway the cafeteria is large and has plenty of seating space, plus a big patio area out in the back with acres of greenery to look at. There are also some swings and space for children to enjoy some fresh air outside. Last but not least, a visit to the gift shop is mandatory. They had tons and tons of preserved butterflies in frames. They also had a good selection of books and gift items. I liked that they were not the generic same old, same old you often see in other attractions' gift shops. I purchased a couple of things I will use as gifts in the future, and be happy that I won't have to worry they'll already have it or get it from someone else. I would love to revisit in future, and bring a friend with her young child. It's the absolute perfect place to spend a day or afternoon getting some light exercise, enjoying a slice of nature, and recharging your battery.

Absolutely love this place. Thousands of beautiful butterflies in the main rainforest type room,…read moretwo other bug rooms, plus a cafe. Got an annual membership with my family a couple of times now (you can use your admission fee towards the price).